ISTE 2014 marks the launch of summertime for many educators as they come together to connect and share ideas about technology and innovation. Unsurprisingly, the theme of “connectedness” continues with this year’s show in Atlanta. The ability for schools to connect to the Internet and help make access to technology ubiquitous is changing learning in ways we probably never imagined: students can now take virtual field trips; they can access almost any information any time with the touch of a button, and traditional textbooks are going digital. Rapid advances in technology are accelerating change.

In 2015, 25 billion devices will be connected to the Internet. More things are connected to the Internet than there are people in the world. By 2020, that number will double to 50 billion devices, and each person will have an average 6.58 devices. We know that Internet of Things (IoT) connections will grow from two billion to six billion in the next five years, producing an enormous amount of information. Read More »

We attended ISTE 2013 this year and came away filled with ideas and excited about a bright future of technology in education. One of the most inspirational takeaways was from the keynote speech by Steven Johnson, “Where Good Ideas Come From”.

Kevin talked about the evolution of ideas. Contrary to popular belief, the best ideas aren’t a light bulb going off, they take time to mature and develop. He defined this as the “slow hunch”, the source of true creativity. Furthermore, ideas are usually not single and solitary, but are built on a network of other ideas. Within this incubator of ideas, connections and collaboration become more and more important, both for development and implementation.

Students bounding into schools touting the latest device is creating big problem for K-12 IT departments. How can schools support BYOD initiatives while securing these mobile devices and the student information embedded within them if IT staff numbers aren’t growing?

In his latest blog, K-12 BYOD. Secure Students, Determine Internet Access, and Yet Provide Awesome Network Performance?, Cisco’s Rahul Chohan discusses how Identity Services Engine policy deployment as a part of Cisco BYOD Solutions for K12 Education helps simplify mobile device security streamlines the IT security processes required to deploy BYOD. Rahul’s blog covers how ISE helps protect minors, ensure performance, and simplify IT over the wired and wireless infrastructure. How exactly can it do this? You’ll have to read his blog to find out.

So many students, so many devices, yet zero increase in number of IT staffers. The increasingly unbalanced ratio is enough to cause a few nightmares for any IT professional. Luckily, supporting student IT requirements, while remaining secure, has become a bit simpler with Identity Service Engine (ISE) Policy Deployment, part of Cisco BYOD Solutions for K12 Education. With ISE, IT staffers can quickly add and support student’s devices like laptops, smart phones and tablets and at the same time ensure the protection of student information access, dynamically control who gets access to what and provide optimal network user experience. You can be rest assured that we have your back while you balance it all.

Protection of Minors – Let’s face it – K-12 means we’re talking about minors, so we need to tread quite carefully. Extending network access across wired and wireless opens education to a world of innovation; yet it also opens the network up to security threats. 64% of parents feel it is a schools responsibility to effectively teach students how to use their mobile devices safely [Info graphic]. Protection of access to and access by students is a high-priority. It is critical to restrict access to confidential student records while making sure students get the right access to resources they need for learning. The ISE component of the K12 BYOD Solution protects student information through secure, role-based, application access – simply – over the wired and wireless infrastructure. Read More »

Is there anything more annoying than a frozen screen? Imagine a teacher or student trying to utilize wireless technology on campus only to be let down by slow or spotty wireless coverage. School districts cannot leverage a wireless network with performance issues. Hot spots are no longer good enough: there is a requirement for pervasive wireless access in today’s classrooms. Only with pervasive wireless access can technology be fully utilized to help innovate the classroom, whether it’s through access to online teaching tools, real time communication or other student engagement vehicles. Cisco BYOD Solutions for K12 Education offer flexible solutions that make a pervasive wireless network an affordable reality.

A pervasive wireless network opens up anytime, anywhere access to enhanced teaching and learning resources. An overwhelming 94% of teachers say Google or other search engines tops the list of sources their students use for research*.

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